Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

A new thread to share all your latest historical fiction purchases or borrowing.

Whether you bought them, or borrowed them from a library or from somebody you know, we want to share in your excitement!

So..do tell...

We've needed this thread for a long time, but for some reason never thought of it. Despite the need.

We have a What are you reading now' thread. This thread isn't the same however.
Sometimes we find historical fiction gems in used bookstores, or we spend our birthday gift vouchers on a book haul at an online bookstore. Sometimes we come home from the library loaded to the gunwales with library books and you are busting to tell fellow bookworms.

This is the thread for you.

I'll kick things off.

I haven't bought a book since about 2013. For financial reasons in part, but also because I was using the library more.
Today I had a little spending spree and bought:

I won a book a few weeks from goodreads. The Patriots Historical fiction in Soviet Russia during the cold war years. I was pretty excited to get it, not only because I enjoy reading all things Russian, but they sent me a nice hardback copy.

I never get anything in those GRs giveaways, lucky you for getting something.

I just picked up An Unmarked Grave from audible. For some reason this book in the middle of the series was unavailable at either library.

If you are like me Terri, you'll love Lamentation. Anything by C.J. Sansom is well worth reading. I haven't read Sons of the Blood yet but I have read other books by Robyn Young and enjoyed them a lot. Happy reading.

Dawn wrote: "I never get anything in those GRs giveaways, lucky you for getting something."
It has been a while since I've gotten anything. Every now & then, I go through the historical fiction offerings & enter anything I think might be interesting. Can be addicting, (bit like gambling, I guess) but every few months or so can't hurt to try!

Jerry wrote: "If you are like me Terri, you'll love Lamentation. Anything by C.J. Sansom is well worth reading. I haven't read Sons of the Blood yet but I have read..."

I love the series. I am one or two behind as I have been in a reading rut for a while. Hoping to catch up with the series this year.
Also liked Robyn Youngs Scottish trilogy. Looking forward to seeing how she goes with this new trilogy.

That's a shame. Do your libraries buy in books if you request them?

I decided to go ahead and buy David Anthony Durham's new historical fiction The Risen: A Novel of Spartacus

I just bought Sons of the Blood also! I've been completely wrapped up in Robyn Young's series on Robert the Bruce for the last 10 days...Just.So.Good. Thanks for the recommendation Teri! I thoroughly enjoyed them! I can't wait to read more of her writing. She's fantastic!

Terrific! Although, I can only take a little credit. :-) You had already bought the first Bruce book. Haha.
Maybe you and I should buddy read Sons of Blood in the next few months.

Sounds like a plan ;)

Cool. Will check in again soon. I have a few books lined up after my current read. You would too maybe? Are you going to read the whole Bruce trilogy in sequence straight away?

Bummer. I saw on your profile that you've already started it, Renata. Oh well. Let me know what you think of it when done. :-)
Mine still hasn't arrived in the post.

I've just finished the Bruce trilogy - in sequence - loved them. I actually haven't started Sons of the Blood yet - I have many others stacked up. I can wait for you! I'm also itching to read more Rob Low, so I'll read those for a bit until you get to Robyn Young :)

This group has expanded my TBR exponentially- an embarrassment of riches lol!

Hi Mhairi,
Libraries are great. I used to use libraries a lot, but being far away I had to rely on my husband picking up and dropping off books for me. Then he moved work location and couldn't really do it for me anymore.
Sure did mess with my ability to read whatever I want. Nowadays if I want to read something I have to buy it. :-(

Renata wrote: "I've just finished the Bruce trilogy - in sequence - loved them. I actually haven't started Sons of the Blood yet - I have many others stacked up. I can wait for you! I'm also itching to read more ..."

Yay! Not just because you'll wait, but because you're going to read more Low. I'm a big supporter of that. Lol.

Must say, wow you're a fast reader. That'll help you to stay on top on Mount TBR.

As I just posted somewhere else, I think, when the books are good - who has time for food or sleep?

Haha. True!

It is handy that libraries embraced ebooks.
Not for me unfortunately as I only read dead tree books. :-)

Went for a while reading lots of Kindle books, but now I'm back to dead trees. Home Sweet Home. Nothing like the feeling of cracking a binding open ;)

I go back and forth - I much prefer "real" books, but if I'm traveling a nook/kindle comes in handy :)

I use Kindle when trying out a new author, but if I come to like that author I'll usually buy a dead tree version of their next book, if I can get it easily. Anything to which I am likely to refer a few times is almost certainly in "real" book format. Sadly our library service is under a lot of financial pressure and is having to make savings, so it is not as convenient as it used to be.

Always disappointing to hear when people's library services are struggling. Hard to get funding from local governments in some cases.

I will read in any format - paper, kindle, back of the cereal box.

I recently started by L.J. Trafford. It is about the end of Nero's reign and is markedly different in tone from any other work of historical fiction taking place in the Roman era that I've come across. Almost like "Flashman" in ancient Rome! Honestly, it is just a lot of fun.

Eileen wrote: "I recently started by L.J. Trafford. It is about the end of Nero's reign and is markedly different..."

I just requested a new book by Margaret George about the early years of Nero's reign The Confessions of Young Nero . It appears to be a more sympathetic view of Nero than you typically see. There will be a second volume to come.

Phair wrote: "Eileen wrote: "I recently started by L.J. Trafford. It is about the end of Nero's reign and is markedly different..."

I just requested a new book by Margaret George a..."

Hey there Phair , I didn't know you were in this group...

I think Jane reviewed the confessions of young Nero earlier this year. Let me try to trackdown the link.

Terri wrote: "Always disappointing to hear when people's library services are struggling. Hard to get funding from local governments in some cases."
I am fortunate. Mine has a huge budget and is happy to buy almost anything I recommend.

Phair wrote: "Eileen wrote: "I recently started by L.J. Trafford. It is about the end of Nero's reign and is markedly different..."

I just requested a new book by Margaret George a..."

I read it over the weekend. It goes up until the fire that destroyed Rome. It's a pretty good book.

Mine has a big budget too, Margaret. Anything I've asked them to buy they have bought. Money no object it would seem.

This is not historical fiction, it is historical non fiction.....
I think this thread can cater to both. As long as its history.

I bought Gertrude Bell's Persian Pictures: From the Mountains to the Sea
Once I've read it I will probably then buy her Syria one too.

Has anyone seen the film about Gertrude Bell starring Nicole Kidman? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1837636/?...
I believe it is just being released in USA this month. Worth seeing?

I haven't. It was when I went to buy her books that I saw the movie mentioned in the book blurbs.
She was an amazing woman. Led an incredible life.
I'm a big fan of Wilfred Thesiger's writings and hope Bell's writing reads as well.

Phew. Just watched the preview trailer for the movie. Boy, that looks good!

I read her biography Gertrude Bell by H.V.F. Winstone years ago. She led a fascinating life. Among her many accomplishments, she founded the National Museum of Iraq.

Which has seen some bad times (the Museum). Sacked multiple times over the last 15 or so years. I wonder how the Museum is doing now?

Terri wrote: "Which has seen some bad times (the Museum). Sacked multiple times over the last 15 or so years. I wonder how the Museum is doing now?"

I visited Iraq with my brother for a very short visit several years ago. I had the opportunity to visit the museum but I declined because the museum was officially still closed and there were men with big machine guns everywhere. Iraq was still a dangerous place, and I got scared. I'm kicking myself in the foot now for not taking advantage of the offer.

It is my understanding that the museum is officially open now. A lot of the artifacts that were looted have been returned. Also, it turns out that some of the artifacts weren't looted but were taken out of the museum by its employees and hidden in their homes for safe-keeping. They have since been returned to the museum.

I'm sure there is still a lot that is missing, but I guess the situation is not as dire as it initially appeared.

Because I was grumpy on Monday, I bought Daughters of the Grail by Elizabeth Chadwick. Now I own all her books.

Hi Tamara,
I bet you are kicking yourself! Wow, so many incredible treasures and artefacts. But I completely understand your reluctance to visit.
I would have been too scared also.
Hopefully there will be a time when it is safe for Westerners to travel safely throughout Iraq. I can't even imagine how far into the future that will be...but hopefully it will happen.

Lariela wrote: "Because I was grumpy on Monday, I bought Daughters of the Grail by Elizabeth Chadwick. Now I own all her books."

How many Chadwicks are there now?

What a perfect pick me up!!! I have an older one, previously missed, waiting patiently for me!!

The other day I posted here about buying Persian Pictures: From the Mountains to the Sea by Gertrude Bell??
Wellllll...it arrived in the mail today.
I thought "I won't read it until I have finished my current historical fiction..I'll just take a peek at the first page."

That first page was instantly transportive and I'm sucked in. I can't resist it.
I'll read it now and pause the hist fic I am currently reading. :-)

With Christmas gift cards, I got the 2nd and 3rd books of Michael Jecks's Hundred year War Trilogy for my nook


and


These are straight HF, not Historical mystery

I'm jealous of your shopping basket.
I want to get to this trilogy. Was only eyeing it off the other day. I've got about 4 books to get through before I can buy book one.

Are these ones you had to get through Amazon.UK? Or Book Depository.uk? Or are they available to the US

They were available on BN.com in the nook format. I would usually get them from the library, but for some reason were taking forever to get here, so I went ahead and bought them. I usually don't like electronic format, but I made an exception in this case :)

Interesting. I didn't think Mike's books were available in the US much. Good to hear.

Great news. Yet another series I want to read possibly available over here...

Oh, yeah. Get onto them Renata. I have no doubt they are good.
Also look for Templar's Acre This is the last book in his Templar series, but is a prequel to the 30 something book series.
It is stand alone and not a mystery nor set in England like the series.

It is a good one to discover Jecks without starting a 30 something book series. You can read that one. Get a taste for the author then decide whether to start the series at book 1, or jump into that new trilogy that Happy linked to.